A teen who fatally stabbed a 17-year-old boy at a Texas track meet had his $1million bond reduced to $250,000 on Monday.
Anthony, 17, was in court as he faces a first-degree murder charge for the killing of Austin Metcalf, who died in his twin brother Hunter’s arms after being stabbed in the heart earlier this month.
Karmelo Anthony
Austin Metcalf
When he posts bond, the accused killer will have to wear an ankle monitor and cannot leave his parent’s home without permission from Judge Angela Tucker.
His lawyer said he expects him to post bond later on Monday.
The teen wore a gold jumpsuit, handcuffs and chains as he watched defense lawyers had asked for the bond to be lowered to $150,000 citing his age and lack of criminal history.
Prosecutors had asked Anthony’s father, Andrew Anthony, why he could not use the more than $400,000 in donated funds for his son’s defense to pay the original $1million bond.
Andrew Anthony told the court that he has no access to the donated funds and could not afford to pay a $1million bond, as reported by CBS 11 News’ JD Miles. Anthony’s lawyers also said the money was not for bail and instead should be used for a legal defense.
Anthony’s father was also questioned in court over an incident in the teen’s high school back in February that involved an altercation ‘assault.’
It’s not clear whether Anthony was an aggressor, victim or witness in the incident, which was handled internally by Frisco’s independent school district.
The defense also questioned Anthony’s father and mother, who said their son is an A student and captain of the football and track teams at his high school.
Anthony was described as the oldest of three children who had never been arrested before Metcalf’s murder.
He was the captain of his football and track teams at school and worked at Foot Locker, as well as a second job at a H-E-B supermarket prior to the stabbing.
Metcalf’s killing has divided the Frisco community and nation at large; Judge Tucker said ‘they’ve never had the security issues they’ve faced with this case,’ according to Fox 4.
A spokesman for the Anthony family was previously forced to deny that the accused killer had been bullied by Austin before the fatal confrontation at the match. The two boys had never met one another prior to the horrific stabbing.
Just before his bond hearing on Monday, Anthony’s family retained Mike Howard, a Dallas criminal defense attorney.
His former lawyers, Billy Clark and Kim T. Cole., confirmed to WFAA Saturday that they will no longer be representing Anthony while the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN) – a non-profit supporting the teen – announced the legal change.
An arrest report says a confrontation between the two star football players began when Metcalf told Anthony he was sitting under another team’s pop-up tent and told him to move, as reported by NBC DFW.
The two students from different high schools began fighting before Karmelo unzipped his bag and reached in, telling Austin: ‘Touch me and see what happens.’
The report says Austin then ‘grabbed Anthony to tell him to move and Anthony pulled out … a black knife and stabbed Austin once in the chest.’
Anthony eportedly ran away before being arrested by responding officers.
He had apparently told a school resource officer: ‘I was protecting myself,’ and, ‘He put his hands on me.’
